The Ocarina of Time: One Big, Long, Messy Quest
by DiRTy-LaRrY
Summary: OoT Rewrite One night, Link has a nightmare. One day is all it takes to change his nightmare from dreams, to reality. Watch as a boy becomes a man, and then a hero, and what it means to lose one's innocence. PLEASE R&R!
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, nearly everyone running out of ideas must have done this! And so must I. However, the story has been augmented with manga stuff, and my own side-parts, so yeahh...hope you enjoy this first chappie!

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**The Ocarina of Time: One Big, Long, Messy Quest**

**The Great Deku Tree**

Every night. It's the same every night.

_Cold walls rise up, white bricks towering menacingly overhead._

Every night, the nightmare begins...

He's alone, standing at the edge of a dark field. There's something...something huge in front of him. It looks familiar; it's as though he's seen it before, even though he's never left his home in his life.

_Have I?_

Thoughts ring through his mind, the protective shells breaking under the freezing rain. He shivers; the biting chill eats at his mind, consuming him with an all-out need for warmth.

_So cold..._

Then, something happens. Something, something. It's being lowered down, it's flat surface connecting with the hard ground. It looks very solid, as though...as though...what is it?

_Did they call it a bridge? Why is called a bridge?_

Two people ride quickly across. One has a fox face, the other as one eye on the centre of their face. Who are they? He doesn't know. Why should he know?

_I'm a kid. Why am I here? Please, let me go._

Something's coming. Something scary. Something frightening. He wants to run. But he can't; he's rooted to the spot. Why is he so scared?

_Move._

It's coming out of the shadows.

_Move._

The solid night, swept into a cloud of darkness, materialises in front of him.

_Move!_

He can't get out. He can't run. He has to escape, even though he knows the black shadow will find him, will kill him.

_MOVE!_

And with that, he's running. Running as fast as he can, while the shadow looms menacingly behind him. It catches his heels, and he falls down.

_Somebody! Anybody! Help me!_

He hears a low, guttural chant issue from the dark depths of the shadow. He's screaming. And then all is darkness.

* * *

Link awoke with a start, his brain hammering the sides of his head. Again. For the fifth night in a row, he'd been woken by this stupid dream!

_Can't someone get some sleep around here?_

It was fairly early, but Link knew that most of the Kokiri were already awake. The Kokiri were the race of children that he lived with. Never to grow old, the Kokiri, who looked like children, behaved like them too; except for the fact that they centuries worth of knowledge. Of course, the actual interpretation of that knowledge was based on a child's point of view.

_Hehehe...a whole lifetime full of knowledge! And never growing old! How cool is that?_

Link, having forgotten his previous nightmares, and his qualms about being woken up so early, had hurried out of his tree house, all ready for another "typical Kokiri day". It consisted of talking with Saria, picking flowers, fruits, tending to groves and helping the Great Deku Tree, their guardian spirit.

The Great Deku Tree was very powerful and wise; he had ruled the Forest for many years. The hustling hub of life was luscious and green thanks to the power of the Great Deku Tree, who had aided the Kokiri in their day-to-day lives. In return, the Deku Tree had advised the Kokiri on matters concerning the preservation of the Forest, and asked for their help in looking after the Forest. It was a symbiotic relationship between Kokiri, and Forest. Hence, Kokiri Forest.

Of course- 

Link's mumblings and musings on Kokiri society were brought to an end by a well-timed crash with a fairy.

"You darn things are so hard to avoid! Dammit, get out of my way, I was thinking there! Now-"

"Can Hyrule's fate really depend on a boy who cusses so much?" _That_ caught Link's attention. Not the cussing bit. Just the Hyrule part. Of course, he just sat there dumbly, realising what the fairy had just said.

"Sorry about crashing into you and all, but I think we've addled our brains. I either I did NOT just hear you say what I think you said, or you went crazy when smashed into me." Link's long-winded explanation was cut short as the fairy again repeated her statement, in a teeny, high-pitched voice.

"Number one: your voice is annoying the crap out of me. Number two: what are you talking about?" Link's irritation was conveyed through his tone and words. The fairy, unfazed, hurriedly began introductions.

"My name is Navi! The Great Deku Tree sent me to be your fairy partner! The Great Deku Tree wants to see you, so let's go and find him!" Navi the fairy said this in one big, long sentence. And then grabbed Link by the hair and dragged him toward the ladder that was the exit from his treetop abode.

Link had grabbed his green hat as he'd left the tree house, and now he made an attempt o jam it onto his head, while screaming in pain as Navi pulled him down the ladder. He succeeded, simultaneously trapping Navi inside his hat as he pushed the cap onto his head. Navi flew out from underneath it, and in a severe tone reprimanded Link. Well...not really reprimanded.

"Why did you go and do that? You could have got us both killed! Without my guidance, who knows what could've happened? We could've both been killed for Goddesses' sakes!" Navi screamed at Link, in her teeny, high-pitched voice. Again. She seemed to love screaming. "If I got trapped underneath your hat somehow-"

"You got out easy enough, and you dragged me all the way to a ladder, and down it quite fine." Link stated bluntly, massaging his scalp. "Jeez, I'm sure you pulled out some hair here!"

"That's beside the point! You shouldn't have done something so risky! What if-"

"What if I stick you in a bottle, and take you out when I really need to listen to your annoying voice. How's that?" Link murmured threateningly. It had the right affect; Navi stopped talking. However, Link didn't see a certain green-haired, green-eyed girl walk up to him, and cover his eyes.

"Wha- What? Saria? Is that you?"

"Tee-hee! Gotcha!" Saria was a small girl with elfin features and green-hair. While she was mischievous and a bit of a prankster, Saria was the most matured of all the Kokiri. Where this maturity came from, no one knew.

"Hello Link. Are you being rude to a fairy, Link?" Saria's beaming face changed to a mask of mock seriousness. "You'd better not be, or else..." Saria's eyes burned with a green flame, and then...

"GAHHH!" Making a loud noise and yell, Saria raised her arms and twisted her hands into a claw-like shape. Contorting her face, she moved towards Link, pretending to be a monster.

"Somebody help me!" Link yelled, backing away, and nearly climbing up the ladder again, to escape from Saria.

"Relax, Link. I'm not a monster. It's just a joke!" Saria grinned, and pulled Link, who was halfway up the ladder, back to the ground. It was then that Saria noticed; Navi was still hovering around Link.

"Who are you?" She asked Navi. "Why are you still here?"

"I'm Link's fairy partner. My name's Navi." Saria appeared shocked.

* * *

_I never knew he had gotten a fairy partner..._

Looking, from Link, to Navi, Saria turned to her own fairy.

"Hey," she whispered, "do you anything about Navi?"

"Very mysterious fairy. Old, that's why her voice is so high-pitched. Looked up to by other fairies, but she can be a bit pedantic. Other than that, we don't know anything about her. Apparently, she was sent out to help someone get to the Deku Tree."

"Keep your hat straight. Stand up straight. For heaven's sake, wear that like a tunic, not a mini-skirt!" Navi's grating voice crunched at Link's ears. Saria winced a bit, feeling sympathy for her bumbling friend.

"Link! I heard you had to see the Great Deku Tree! Well, anyway, I hope you can do some stuff with him! He's cool! I've heard you've never actually've seen the Great Deku Tree, and I think it's a bit of a walk, so I'll take you there!" Saria's cheery attitude was never damaged by anything, and even the relatively important matter of seeing the Great Deku Tree didn't faze her. Instead, she paid attention to how Link and his fairy partner collaborated.

"No! I'll wear my hear how I like it!"

"Wear it this way!"

"No!"

"Wear!"

"NO!"

"Fine! Be difficult!" A rather huffy Navi flew away, flashing, while Link gritted his teeth, and turned away.

_Two very interesting people. They're opposites of each other, and the fact that they were paired together is interesting._

"Hmph...annoying kid." Saria heard Navi grumble in an undertone to herself.

_One is a strong-willed, pedantic fairy._

"Stupid fairy...doesn't know how to dress..." Link grated out aloud, temper flaring.

_And the other is a care-free, stubborn young boy._

"What did you say?" Navi was furious, and even more so as Link repeated his statement.

_Who will win in this battle of wills?_

_

* * *

_  
Link, annoyed with the commands and orders of his new partner, huffily walked with Saria toward the entrance where the Great Deku Tree resided. It was just a simple arch that signified where the Great Deku Tree was rooted, but it was an important arch none the less.

As the pair, along with their fairies, neared the entrance, a ruddy haired boy jumped out of the shadows, surprising the two.

"Mido?" Link asked, as the boy, his hands on his hips, boldly strode to block Link and Saria's way to the Deku Tree. "What are you doing? We gotta see the Great Deku Tree. Can we pass, please?"

"No. No one passes without a sword, a shield, and a _fairy_, you false Kokiri." Mido gritted out. He obviously was having a bad day; while on most days he was a bit snobbish, he and Link didn't feel a need to provoke the other into doing anything rash.

"Mido, I have a fairy. Why do I need a sword or shield?" Link had suppressed his temper at Mido's remark, and instead countered Mido's verbal jousting with questions. "Is there something I need to know?"

"You have a fairy? I...well, you're still not a Kokiri, no matter what!" Mido seemed enraged, and his further prodding at Link's rejection by many Kokiri only served to light the fuse that was Link's anger.

Link swung his fist at Mido, connecting with the boy's jaw. Mido fell to the ground, stunned, shaking his head as he realised what he'd said that had provoked Link into hitting him. Mido was remorseful; his pride, however, got the better of him. He refused to apologise for his part in the altercation, leaving Link's ready admission of guilt a wasted thought.

"Link! Mido!" Saria chided. "Why do you two _always_ have to be like this?"

Sighing, Mido explained why Link needed a sword and shield would be needed to talk with the Great Deku Tree.

"Deku Babas, great big plants that eat people, have been growing along the pathway. I couldn't keep them out; they were too strong for me." Mido sighed wistfully, then continued. "If I had a sword and shield, I'm sure that I could get rid of them, but I'm not sure about you, Link. I'm sure Saria doesn't want you to get hurt, so it'd be best if you let me cut a path for you." As Mido said his last word's, his voice changed, and he made a poor attempt at imitating one of the great Heroes that the Great Deku Tree told stories about.

The reason for this was because Mido always was trying to impress Saria. He was brave and tough, especially around her, making Link feel insignificant. Link felt that he could never be brave, like Mido was. Mido always told people what to do, and he supervised all the other Kokiri. Link, if he'd tried this, would have gotten too nervous to say a word.

_No-one comes up to me for advice, that's for sure._ _It's always, "Mido, can you help me with this?" or "Mido, how do you do this?" And never asking of Link's opinion. And they always talk of how he saved Saria during the expedition in the Lost Woods. I'll never be that brave._

But, even then, Saria was kind and friendly to Link. She was the admiration of all the Kokiri. A knowledgeable girl, Saria was outgoing and wise; it was these qualities that attracted everyone to her. Even Link. It was besides the point that Link thought her cute; she was one of the few, or maybe the only friend Link had among the Kokiri, and Link was determined to continue their friendship.

_The rest of them think I'm an anomaly. Probably Mido's doing...I guess it's just because I'm different that he refuses to properly accept me._

Mido's stance on not letting Link through was adamant. However, Link knew that he had an audience with the Deku Tree, and nothing that Mido did was going to stop him.

"Fine. I'll find a sword and shield." Link muttered blandly, and walked off, leaving Saria with Mido. Mido's clumsy flattery and honeyed tones began again as he made another attempt at flirting with Saria. Link didn't stay around to watch; instead he walked towards the training grounds. Navi, who'd been whispering in his ears while he and Mido had 'talked', now began to inform him of what she knew about the Training Grounds.

"Rumour has it that there is an ancient sword made by Kokiri hands. The Great Deku Tree ordered it to be placed there about six years ago, but its exact location is unknown; all I know is that it's in the training grounds." Navi whispered to Link gruffly, but not in a tone as severe as the one she'd ordered him around with beforehand. Even though Link hadn't noticed it, her admiration of him had grown ever since she'd seen him stand up for himself against Mido, who she'd heard from other fairies to be a bully.

As Link reached the training grounds, the other Kokiri drew away from him. They left him in his seclusion; just the way Link liked it. He scanned the area, but he saw no signs of any swords, or anything that might have contained swords. Link's eyes fell upon a large crack in the wall, just big enough for him to crawl through. It was a tight fit; Link was covered in cuts from the sharp edges of the rocks by the time he'd managed to crawl through.

Link was greeted by a...

"AHHHH!" He fell backwards, on to his butt, and watched, mouth agape, as a large boulder, heavy and... well, large, rolled past. Somehow, it kept rolling, just rolling along, as if held in its patrol by some kind of magic force.

Link stumbled to his feet and watched the boulder roll past again. As it somehow turned a corner, Link gathered his courage and ran after it, rounding the corner, and expecting to see the boulder as he turned the corner. He ran, and turned...

To be greeted by a loud rumbling behind him. Whirling around, his horrified eyes met with the sight of the massive boulder rolling toward him. Seeing the massive rolling rock, advancing towards him, Link's feet moved of their own accord. Suddenly, he was floating to another corner. He turned to his left...

And the boulder followed.

"AHHHHHH!" Link screamed like a girl. "SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

"SOMEBODY HELP US!" Navi wailed, adding to the din caused by their noisy shrieks.

Link continued running, the monolith of rolling doom threatening to run him over. When he came to the same corner that he'd turned left at before, Link steered to the right, and breathed a sigh of relief as the boulder rolled away from him.

A large chest seemed to spring out of nowhere, as he turned around. It smelled of old, ancient powers, powers of preservation, of defending...

_Of death? This casket...it smells like blood..._

Link was curious as to what could be inside this casket, this chest whose odour smelled like blood. He pushed the heavy lid off, to reveal a short sword inside.

"It's the Kokiri Sword, Link!" Navi whispered in his ear. Her voice betrayed her wonder; the steel was cold, the wooden handle exuding a peculiar odour, unlike any that Link had smelt before.

"I remember...this wood...it doesn't smell like the other trees in the Forest. It smells...it smells like blood!" Link held the sword, the bloody handle's odour nearly causing him to near drop it. Voices, voices of the Forest Spirits filled his head, and initially, this bout of chanting from the ghosts of the Forest did not frighten him.

Until he heard what they were chanting.

* * *

"Death. Kill. Eat. Ravenous. Hunger. Blood. Drink." They chant in unison, their continuous monotony a mind-filling echo of pain and terror. 

"Flesh, so sweet, we like to eat, we like to eat, the meat, so nice, we like to bite, to cut the flesh to shreds, to shreds, to pieces..." Their voices chanted solemnly. And among their chants came the hissing of the beasts and monsters, only encountered in dreams.

Only encountered in dreams.

* * *

"It's only a vision, Link. It's not real! Link!" Navi's high pitched-voice rang cut through the horrors of Link's never-ending night, and sobered him up. As Link regained his senses, he realised what the weapon he held was.

_Made by that which is alive. Made from that which is alive. All that it knows is death. That's all it knows..._

The thoughts came unbidden into his head, and he brushed them aside. He slipped the sword onto his back, and tied a makeshift knot with a piece of cord he'd found conveniently placed in the chest, so he could carry the sword in an effective manner. Running behind the boulder, Link ran back to the crack, and painfully crawled out again.

Link was now encountering the stares of fellow Kokiri. They warily eyed the sword on his back, and muttered words behind his back. Gritting his teeth, Link forced himself into ignorance, and headed towards the shop. Of course, he didn't mean to buy anything...

Link slipped behind the shop, toward its back entrance, and crept in. Hidden in the shadows, behind the shopkeeper, no one noticed him. The shield he wanted was right next to him; he tucked it onto his back, and was about to leave, when something caught his eye...

It was a slingshot. It was made out of wood of high quality, with a sachet of seeds to use as ammunition. The sign read 'For the naughty troublemaker, the ultimate tool of havoc'. Link was drawn to it. Literally. His hand had already begun to reach out to grab it.

"Psst! Hurry up! We need to get out of here!" Navi whispered worriedly. She'd already protested against stealing from the shop, and the delay Link was making to grab the slingshot just made her more nervous.

_I think...I think I'm going to use it. I just have this feeling that it's gonna be useful...I mean, I know it's wrong to steal, but still...I...I just need it to do what I have to do, I guess. Whatever the heck that is, anyway._

Link grabbed his "purchases" and left the shop, pausing in the shadows, so Mido couldn't see him. Saria had already left; Mido was now guarding the entrance to the Great Deku Tree alone. Behind him, Link could hear the commotion at the shop over their unintentional, but generous donation to Link.

_If I talk to Mido, to get him out of the way, it'll take too long, and the shop people will find me... Link thought to himself. But if I don't get in now, they'll find me anyway! What to do? What to do?_

_Wait...got it!_

Link's brilliant solution was rather violent. Fitting a small Deku seed into the slingshot, he aimed and fired.

SMACK!

_And the crowd goes wild; he makes a perfect bulls-eye! Though no one saw..._

Mido fell to the ground, unconscious, eyes rolling in his head. The small Seed had effectively incapacitated the boy. Grinning, Link murmured, "I always wanted to do that," before running through the entrance, toward the Great Deku Tree.

Or not.

"Gah!" Link jumped back in surprise as a seemingly innocent shrub suddenly produced a massive bulbous head, complete with snapping jaws, which snarled viciously and lunged at Link.

Deftly protecting himself with the shield, Link's frightened mind took over again, his dilemma of fear washing over him in a split-second.

_I'm going to die! I'm going to die! This is the end of my life! This is the end-_

_Move._

_-of my life! This is how I'm going-_

_Move._

_to die? I should run! Run! Otherwise, it'll-_

_MOVE!_

At this command, Link's body jerked into motion, and propelled itself into the plant. The sword was arcing through the air, cleaving through root and branch, leaving the plant dead and expired.

There was green blood spilling from its lifeless body. Its dead tongue lolled out beside the head, salivating the grass with its dribble and bile. It was sickening.

Link was on his hands and knees, vomiting. The sheer disgust and horror, and the terror of the moment, the guilt, the satisfaction, all the emotions surged upward and were forced outward with his vomit.

_I've only seen ten summers! Why must I see this? Why?_

_Come child. I have awaited you for a long while. I shall answer your questions._

The voice was deep and melodic, and its resounding rumble of a voice that had seen age after age made Link shiver, before realising that the voice belonged to the Great Deku Tree.

The Tree's voice filled Link with new courage. Even if I have killed, this was a monster, and not something worth its life. Link tried to reason. It's only a twisted reflection of true life, and I did it an act of kindness. Link remembered all the stories he'd heard about monsters; twisted and cursed beings, who were neither living nor dead, and forced to bow to the wishes of their summoner. He forced them into his head, to cement his resolve and overcome the nausea after killing the plant.

But...the feeling of guilt was still there. Already, his innocent young mind was tainted by killing, even if it had been a monster.

Link was forced to clear out some more monstrous flowers, before he reached the Great Deku Tree. The Tree himself was a majestic old spirit, a sustaining life force of power and energy. Summoning his courage, Link approached the Tree, and solemnly bowed.

"I greet you, my Kokiri friends." The Deku Tree's first words suddenly highlighted to Link that many Kokiri had suddenly appeared in the clearing. Link, embarrassed, looked guiltily at his 'borrowed' shield and slingshot, but the shopkeeper didn't even seem to want the items back. When Link, his face a mask of remorse, his intent clear, turned to the shopkeeper, who was among the crowd of Kokiri, the shopkeeper gestured for him to keep the two items, thus letting Link get off with his free trade.

"It has been many years since I saw you all. It is Link, however, that I wish to see." The Old Tree's rumbling voice echoed through the clearing. "Link. Thoust has grown since last I saw you. In stature, you have matured, and in mind, hopefully. For thou will require both these traits to help the Kokiri." At this comment Mido stirred; he'd always believed that it was himself, and himself alone who helped the Kokiri.

"I am cursed, Link, to live out my days in pain and suffering. Nothing thoust can do will prevent this. But the evil inside me will find the source of life in Kokiri Forest, and devour it, and all will turn to darkness. Unless you can rid me of this curse." Every Kokiri stared up at the Great Deku Tree in shock and fear. As he spoke on, the dread began its onset. "If this evil is purged, then Kokiri Forest will be saved, though I might die. But you must rid me of this curse. Will thoust carry out my final will?"

Link nodded, impulsively, the compelling emotions welling up again. He would have to fight, to save everything he held dear, to help everyone he knew.

"I knew that I could depend on thee, Link. Go now; travel to my bowels, and defeat the source of the evil inside meeee..." As the Deku Tree's voice faded away, Link felt an oppressive presence shake the ground. From inside the Deku Tree, a crack, and then a whole appeared, and a large eye flickered into existence.

"Nyeh hehehehe..." It's evil laughter rang throughout the Forest, chilling the bones of all who heard it. "Where is it? Where is it? Nyeh hehehehe..." It disappeared again, leaving the Kokiri shaken and horrified.

Link hardened his resolve and ran toward the hole, and chucked himself through it. As he stood up, he noticed that the ground was springy and elastic; too difficult to be slashed with a sword, he noted, as he picked himself up and looked around. Inside the Great Deku Tree were many shrubs, and, for some strange reason, spiders and torches. Link noticed something else; there was a torch close enough for him to burn through the springy ground with.

_It's cobwebs. _He noted again, as he walked to the torch, and began to drag it toward the web. He tipped it onto his side, so that the flame lit the web alight, and left a gaping hole for Link to jump through. Of course, Link didn't hesitate; his hardened resolve hadn't worn off yet, and he intended to fight to be brave to the last breath he had.

He landed on his feet, shield and sword ready, to find a little Deku Shrub. Deku Shrubs spat Deku Nuts at people, and they could injure the unwary bystander. As Link dodged past the Nuts the Shrub fired at him, he suddenly had an idea. Holding his shield up, he sent the Nut flying back at its owner. It struck the stunned Shrub, and in no time, Link had him by his snout, and his sword in the face of the Shrub.

"Please! Please don't kill me! I'll tell you a secret if you don't kill me!" Link didn't move his sword arm; instead he waited for the Shrub's secret.

"Well..." the Scrub murmured, seeing that he wasn't going to die for the moment, "the only way to beat the Queen is to hit her in the eye, an then give her the coup de grace." Link let the Scrub go, and was left to stand by himself, sword at his side. He remembered it all, the sword at the ready, about to stab downwards.

_Could I really have killed it? Could I?_

Link had studiously noted what the scrub had said earlier, when Navi popped out suddenly from his hat. Link dimly remembered placing the fairy in his hat when she had become tired after their stealing incident.

"Where are we?" Navi murmured sleepily. "Oh, we're in the Deku Tree!"

Link spotted another door, and hastened to enter through it. The door at the other side of the room. It led to a dark and dank room; Link entered cautiously, sword and shield in hand, ready to fight.

It was a fight he got; almost immediately, small spiderlings began to drop from the roof of the room. Link watched them emerge from small shells, each of them possessing a blue eye that was slowly turning red. They seemed to be armed with large stingers; each one dripped with venom, and glistened like a deadly dagger.

What are these? Link thought to himself. They're monsters, alright, but what are they?

"Navi? Do you know what these are?" Link asked aloud, as they spotted him, and moved forward in a surging advance.

"They're Gohmas, Link! Be careful of their stingers, and slash them with your sword to slay them!"

"I gathered the be careful of stingers part, Navi!" Link shrieked, as he jumped to one side, barely avoiding one of the lunges made by one Gohma. Raising the Kokiri Sword, Link brought the blade down, through one of the Gohmas. As he did so, a wave of nausea hit him again, but Link pushed it back, forcing and controlling it.

The vile taste of vomit in his mouth was ignored, and instead, all Link's concentration was on the battle. For there were only the enemies to be killed, and the grim exhilaration of battle.

Link kicked one of the Gohmas in its red eye, sending it sprawling to the floor, before smashing the hilt of his sword into the Gohmas eye, and crushing its thin exoskeleton in. Link rolled away from the next, and last Gohma, his keen blade instead biting into the monster's flesh and tearing it asunder. The last one fell, its corpse spewing its green blood. The carnage surrounding Link didn't frighten him anymore; but he still found it disgusting. Link forced back vomit that gathered in his mouth, and swallowed the bitter taste back down

_How did I adapt so quickly? How can I kill so easily?_

"It's because you've felt trauma, you've felt terror in these few moments, that you're so numb," Navi's voice murmured to Link sadly. "You cannot feel anything yet. And in the future, you will see yourself, and wonder how this happened."

"How do you know what I'm thinking?" Link asked.

"I always know. I'm your partner."

"Must you know everything?"

"Fairies can sometimes hear strong thoughts that Hylians have. Your thought of how you felt nothing was a strong thought, so I naturally heard it." Navi continued. "As I said earlier, you've adapted to this because of your trauma; it's shocked you so badly that you can't feel anything. But you can recover, and when you look back you will wonder how you managed to stay sane for so long." Link contemplated this in silence before turning back around to the centre of the room.

There was a slight rustling noise; Link looked up to find a large eye staring back at him. He backed away, as the eye lit up, revealing the true massiveness of the beast before him.

"You! Shall I curse you too?" The beast rasped. Suddenly, it caught sight of the Gohmas' bodies on the floor. "Ohh, you killed my sweets! I'll kill you for that!" Rearing up it's legs lashed on, cracking the floor and smacking Link down. He climbed back onto his feet, thoroughly shaken.

"Navi! What is that thing?"

"The Armoured Parasite Queen Gohma!" Navi screamed back, as Link began to run toward the Queen. Leaping upward, Link aimed a blow at the Queen's torso, only to have it deflected off. Link fell to the ground, and was forced to roll away to avoid being crushed by Gohma's legs.

"Damn!" Link grit his teeth together, then made another attack. He hit one of the legs, and followed up with a kick to the other leg. Gohma wobbled a bit, but didn't seem effected.

"Damn! Damn! Damn you!" Link cursed and slashed between cursing, but to no effect. Gohma just aimed her legs and swatted him away, and her armour wasn't even touched.

"Come, my sweets! Attack him!" Link saw Gohma's body swell, and suddenly had the premonition that she would pop like a balloon. Unfortunately, she just suddenly deflated, leaving three eggs on the floor. Link realised he wouldn't be able to get rid of them in time with his sword. His hand swept past his slingshot, and Link realised that he could destroy them before they hatched using his slingshot.

Fitting three Deku Seeds into the slingshot, he fired them off, splitting the eggs open, and leaving the pre-mature, and now rather dead corpses of the Gohmas to lie unceremoniously on the floor.

"My sweets! You've killed them! Oh, you will pay, little boy!" Queen Gohma suddenly charged at him again, forcing Link to flee.

"Navi! What's her weakness?" Link screamed. He backed away again, slingshot in hand, trying to reach the door again, in the hopes that he might be able to escape. Without warning, he tripped over, and landed on the floor, on his butt. Looking around, Link realised he had tripped over the corpse of one of the Gohmas.

"I've got you now, little boy! You'll die!" Queen Gohma reared up, preparing to slam into his defenceless figure, and crush him into oblivion.

* * *

Everything was slowing down.

The fear...

_I'm afraid. Why?_

Link felt as though he was watching himself, watching himself about to die.

_That's why. I'm about to die._

The insect-like monolith was frozen, rearing up, about to crush him into the floor.

_It was so peaceful before...why did it have to change?_

There's blood on his hands. Cuts and scrapes all over him. The lives he has taken stains his innocent soul, and in turn, now, the Gohma Queen is about to take his life...

_No! Those weren't lives, they weren't anything! They were just mockeries! Just mockeries...of true lives..._

Again, new emotions appear. Suddenly, his assertions are doubted, and hesitation to truly believe what he has said appears.

_They had lives, didn't they? They were alive, they had blood...even if it was a mockery of life...in its smallest sense, in the smallest meaning of the word, they were alive, weren't they?_

Then, if they were alive, then...

_I'm a murderer._

_

* * *

_

"I! Hit the I!" Navi was yelling at him, as he stood, rooted to the floor by what a polite resident of Hyrule called a behind (the Kokiri were very polite; they'd been brought up by the Great Deku Tree, and he was very strict on foul language). She rammed him in the side of the head, waking him up from his sudden day-dream, moments before a hypothesised death.

_The I? What I?_

"The I!" Navi screamed again. "Hit the I!" Suddenly it all made sense!

_It's eye! Not "I"!_

Rolling sideways, as the behemoth-like creature slammed into the floor beside him, Link realised he had no shot of hitting it with his sword. The only thing that might work was the slingshot he was carrying.

_One shot...one shot to finish this..._

Pulling a Deku Seed from his pouch, Link placed it into the slingshot, and drew the small projectile back, taking aim for Queen Gohma's eye.

_Let this end..._

His hands were trembling. Again.

_Why? Why did I have to be a murderer?_

There. The shot was aligned. He let the seed fly, and it catapulted across the room...

_WHY DID YOU MAKE ME A MURDERER?_

Straight into the Queen's Eye. Falling down, stunned, she squealed in pain, and Link knew that this was his chance to finish her off.

Link approached the fallen monster warily, sword in hand, ready to move or dodge at the sign of a sudden movement. If she started flailing while on the floor, she might injure him badly.

"Finish me." The voice of the Queen rang out, hoarse, and beastly.

"What?"

"Finish me off! Kill me!" The massive voice rang throughout the bowels of the Great Deku Tree.

"Why?"

"I'd rather die now. I can't see anymore. I'm not fit to be a Queen. You've killed me. You robbed me of my title, little boy." The Queen's voice had become regretful, but she quickly covered it up with another snarl.

"Kill me now! I'd rather not bear the dishonour of being beaten by you for the rest of my life!"

Link didn't say anymore. Instead, he plunged the sword into the Queen's eye, again. The putrid light powering it, the Queen's life source, began to fade, and her body began to disintegrate. All that was left behind was a bonfire of bluish flame.

_I've taken another life, haven't I?_

Floating in a prison of bluish flames, he reminisced. He'd taken the lives of monsters.

They were lives. Imitations, and mockeries, but they were alive. And I killed them. That means I'm a murderer.

"Why did you make me a murderer, Great Deku Tree?"

* * *

**Okay, it wasn't spectacular, especially the end, and I'm sorry about that, but please review! R&R, I need more reviews! PLEASE! TT...**  



	2. Chapter 2

**Ok, here's the second chapter. No beta, nothing except pure writing. Oh...wait, one beta. Thanks to CGM and AmayaSaria for their prereviews on this-glomps to both of you! So, here is the second chapter of Ocarina of Time: One Big Long Messy Adventure!**

**DISCLAIMER: Do I look rich? No. I thought that's what you said. Naturally, I don't own LoZ or the characxters either. **

**Chapter 2-Innocence**

Link emerged from the Great Deku Tree, the rest of the Kokiri following him solemnly. From the kid who was once unnoticed, Link was now the temporary leader.

Link looked at the solemn group of children that surrounded him, all looking at him, as though waiting for some kind of magical signal he would give. As though there'd been a change, that he'd suddenly become a leader.

"Link..." The Great Deku Tree's voice rumbled out, far weaker than it once had been. "My power wanes...just as every moon must set, to be replaced by a new one, so must I fade away. But do not despair. I shall return to you. But now..." the Tree paused, and Link looked up at it again. Its wise, ancient face was lined with sadness. Link wondered whether the Tree knew that he'd murdered, that he'd taken a life. "I must tell you, then...our secret...the secret we tried to keep from you, for all these ten years..."

"Link, you are not one of us." The Great Deku Tree had gone into a totally new, and shocking topic. Link stared at the Tree in shock, as the wind blew through the boughs of the aging plant, and it nodded his assent at what it had said. The Great Deku Tree looked at Link sadly, as though it wanted to caress the poor boy, who was being stripped of everything, slowly, ever so slowly. "You are a Hylian, not a Kokiri."

"I...I have a..." Link struggled to say the word. He was dressed, in green, just like every other Kokiri person, and he had a fairy. "How can I not be...?"

"Your mother came into the forest wanting us to shelter you while you grew up. She died, and we buried her, in a sacred-"

"We?" Link stammered. "You-you mean you all...you all knew I wasn't...?"

All the other Kokiri nodded, guiltily, and tried to turn to face one another, and then Link, but their eyes could not meet his or anyone else's.

"Link, you must understand-"

"It's so simple, isn't it?" Link was laughing manically now, his insanity causing the other Kokiri to shiver at his inhumanity. "You never treated me as one of you because I wasn't one of you! Ha! And because I wasn't a Kokiri, I...hehehehe...so you all decided that was right, did you? You thought I should be kept in the dark?"

Link's accusations rang through the air, again and again tearing into every Kokiri. They all bowed their heads, as though trying to justify their actions in some manner, but being unable to.

"Link, we're sorry, we just thought-"

"Link, please, understand-"

"Link, don't say it like that-"

"Link, this, Link that! All I've ever gotten is the sharp ends of your tongues. I don't belong here! You know it! I know it now, too! This was _never_ my home! It's time I moved on! So I'm going!" Link yelled to the gathered crowd, and stormed off, leaving a bunch of guilty Kokiri to stare solemnly at the ground.

"The Great Deku Tree!" One of the Kokiri suddenly pointed, and indeed; the colour of the Great Deku Tree slowly faded into a dull grey. The immense power leaked out of the old tree, all over the forest, permeating it with a life force stronger than any known to their world. And then, it disappeared. For many ages to come, that kind of life force would never appear again.

"Link! Link!" Link was already running out of his house, a few hastily packed rolls for supplies in a small backpack. Navi trailed behind him, a glowing ball of light that trailed him, just as his murders had trailed him. "Link! Please, stop!"

The boy slowed his pace, the pace of a haunted man running from his crimes. He halted altogether, and fell to his knees, and tears leaked out, wracking sobs causing his whole body to shudder. Two hands held his shaking body, and a face, wreathed with light, loomed out of the darkness that surrounded him. Slowly, the world he was in restored itself, and the shadows that had consumed the air left his mind.

"Link, it's alright...it's alright..." Saria's soothing voice calmed Link's pain and anguish, and stifled his sobbing. "Link, you're not a murderer. Monsters, they're...you will understand in time..."

"Why am I not a murderer, Saria? I killed them! They had lives, and I killed them!" Link's shouting rose again, and his self-accusations burnt the truth, and etched it into his heart.

"You're not, but I can't explain now. You've got to learn it yourself. No matter what I say, you won't believe me. It will tear you up. So you've got to learn, what you are, who you are, and the truth about yourself, without me." Saria attempted to remain calm, composed, as she held her best friend for ten summers.

"Link, it's a big world, outside the forest. You'll see many things; mountains, rivers, deserts, towns. You'll come back here, someday." Saria's own strength of will began to fade, as she too succumbed to the grief of parting with someone that she'd loved. "But I might not recognise you anymore."

Saria stroked Link's head, as a mother might've done to a child, and let the tears roll down her cheeks as a testament to her sadness.

"Link, the ten summers that we spent together, while I cared for you in the forest, they were the happiest ten years of my life. I just wanted to say thank you, for being my friend, when the rest of us pushed you away."

"What do you mean? I should be thanking you..." Link was crying too, the tears rolling down his cheeks, as he held Saria's head to his chest. "You were my only friend, even though everyone else pushed me away...and you could've been like them, but you weren't..."

"Link, you could've pushed me away, thought I was like the rest of them, and just refused to be close to anyone..." Saria smiled, despite her sadness, and stepped away from Link. They were standing on a wooden bridge; their feet had taken them there, as they'd cried; now, she stood on one side, and he on another. "But you didn't. You decided to be my friend, to be open-minded, and smile through all the times when everyone else made you feel bad. And you accepted me, and gave me a true friend for those ten years. So, thank you. Thank you very much."

Her tears flowed down her face, and the salty liquid fell onto the wood of the bridge becoming damp from her tears. The two friends faced each other, and embraced one last time.

"Link, do you know what a mother is?" Saria whispered to Link as the two of them parted for the last time. "Do you know what a son is?"

"I'm sorry...but I don't know what they are." Link whispered back, making an effort to smile.

"A mother is someone who cares for children, and a son is a child. I feel like I've been your mother for the past ten years now. But, at some point, a mother must let her child go. And this is the time where I must let you go too." Saria reached for something in her belt, and withdrew an instrument, a small, beige Ocarina. She handed it to Link, and pressed it into his hands, along with a sparkling green gem.

"Link, even though we're saying goodbye, keep this as a reminder of me."

"Saria, I'd never-"

"Link, keep it. Please."

Link pushed it into his tunic, the hollow wood cool against his skin.

"I'll keep it close to my heart. I promise."

Saria smiled, even through her veil of tears, and stepped back toward the forest.

"Go. Go, and find your place in the world, if you feel you don't belong here." Saria waved, sadly, her last words to him, not an accusation, but an encouragement. Link waved, as he watched Saria disappear into the woods.

"Goodbye, Saria. Goodbye, Mother." Link turned around, and walked away in the opposite direction, toward the big, wide world.

Link had only just stepped out onto a patch of grass, when Navi smacked him on the head.

"Well, are you gonna congratulate me for staying silent that whole time?" Navi screeched, then perched on his head.

"C'mon. We've gotta get to Hyrule Castle." Navi bobbed up and down, while Link was silent, staring at the ground.

"Link, c'mon, we've gotta-oh." Navi suddenly stopped, when she saw Link on the ground, crying again.

"Link, what's wrong?" Navi made an attempt to sound soothing. Surprisingly, she emulated the voice quite easily.

"I've lost everything. My mother, my home, my friend, and I'm supposed to go out into the world, and do what?" Link closed his eyes, unmoveable in his grief. "I might as well just die."

"Link, no matter what you've said, even if you've lost lots of things, you haven't lost a friend." Navi landed on his head, and bending down toward his ear, whispered, "I'll be your friend."

Link smiled, his love of life slowly restoring itself, and got back on his feet, then looked at Navi, who'd flown off his head, and hovered in front of him.

"Thank you, Navi. I'll always be your friend too." Link held the tiny fairy in the palm of his hand, then asked, "What did you say, just now?"

"We have to go to Hyrule Castle. There, we'll find the Princess of Destiny. And, she'll tell us what's going on." Navi flew into Link's cap, yelling a muffled, "Onward!"

**Did ya like it? If you read this far, then review! (PS: Editing is screwy. Formatting hates me.)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Do I look rich? No, I don't! Rich people own Legend of Zelda! (****cries) But I own this rewrite! So if someone steals it the 12:00am man will come and get you!**

**Chapter 3**

**Big City**

* * *

The castle could be glimpsed, miles off, a massive monolith testament to the ingenuity of the Hylians and the might commanded by the Royal Family. Link, on foot, toiled closer and closer to the Castle; he kept to the paths to avoid the wild monsters, and the spinning blades of wild Peahats as they rose from the ground to defend their nests. 

By night, he and Navi rested, managing to scavenge food from the shrubs of the sleeping nests of Peahats. But at night, there were other dangers to worry about. The Stalchild, for example.

"Navi, how many more?" Link yelled, grasping his blade, and sidestepping underneath the swinging claws of one of the skeletal beings. He thrust upward, slashing through bone and rotten flesh, then twisted the blade, breaking the decaying organs of the zombie-like creature. It fell forward, dead, and Link jumped away from it, ramming one of the Stalchild he hadn't scene in the process.

"Oh. Hi!" Link grinned, rolling off the Stalchild, then called out to Navi again. "C'mon Navi, how many more do I have to kill?"

"Only another five hundred, dear!" Navi shrieked. The hordes of creatures were endless, and their idiotic attacks and slow movements were overcompensated by their huge numbers. Gritting his teeth, Link steeled himself for a hard night of fighting.

Link ran forward, popping a few berries into his mouth to settle his grumbling stomach. He munched happily on the juicy fruit, then jumped, and planted two feet on the Stalchild's chest, kicking it into a group of its kin. Link swallowed, and revitalised, raised his blade, and spun, slashing through another two in the process.

He kicked one onto its back, and sprang forward, holding blade high and ready-

-and paused. He couldn't bring it down to kill it. He could do it thoughtlessly, if he didn't pay attention, but in a moment like this, when he stared down a creature, and readied himself to kill it, he just couldn't.

The moment of indecision nearly cost him his life; the Stalchild crumbled, and Link lost his balance, falling on his face. Crawling onto his knees, he spotted a Stalchild in front of him, claw held high, ready to slash-

-and the rooster crowed the dawn of the day. The herald of the sun crowed, and Link rose, watching as the whole crowd of Stalchild bowed and crumbled to the sun, their victor. Link walked away from his defeated opponents, waiting for the gates of Hyrule castle to open, the bridge to lower, and the people of the city to awake.

* * *

"Wow! So many things! So little rupees..." Link sighed, looking at the meagre savings he had from gathering items in the Lost Woods. They barely amounted for him to buy anything, be it food, water, weaponry or anything else. Spotting a small puppet show Link approached them, watching as the little children were entertained by a fat man in a green suit, calling himself "Tingle" as he waved around small sticks with cloth attached to them, his "puppets" and recounted stories of men in green, blue and red. 

It was a fascinating tale; many people fought battles, and heroes, villains and a myriad of other characters were brought to life by Tingle's performance, and the dancing puppets entranced Link's imagination until the stories jumped from the stick puppets and their primitive dances to great warriors who strode across a battlefield, their swords laced with blood and fire.

"Alright, kids! Thirty rupees for the show! C'mon, pay up!" A man in white held out a bowl, prompting the mothers of the children to reluctantly hand over the money to pay for the show.

Oh, thought Link. I have no money. Oh. Oh shit.

"C'mon kid, where's your money!" the man in white shook his fist at Link, demanding his payment for the show. Link desperately searched into his pockets to find some rupees, but to no avail; he had no rupees to pay the man with.

"Wait, I'll pay for him." a girl, blonde-haired with sparkling emerald eyes held out a large purple rupee, shoving it towards the man in white. "There's no need to get upset, now, is there?"

The girl's words, of course, didn't reach the man's ears. The lust for money (or in this case, rupees) overtook him; in a second he was reaching for her, grabbing her arm, and demanding her to pay him more.

"You look like a rich little girl- mayhap you could spare a few rupees for this poor band of performers here, aye?" the man's words seemed polite, but the desperation in his voice and the cold edge of greed was suddenly evident in his voice and in his eyes.

"Let go of me!" the girl said, annoyed, trying to pull her hand from his grasp, but to no avail. "Here, have you money!"

Rupees scattered over the floor, and a blue-clothed man bent to pick the money up, yet his accomplice still did not let the girl go. Tingle suddenly seemed worried, and he stood up, as if to attempt to defuse the situation. Unfortunately, he was a bit late...

"Let her go." Link's voice sounded nervous, even to himself, and against an adult, he didn't know what he could do.

But...he thought to himself. I can't just sit here and watch them do...what are they doing?

To be honest with himself, Link did not really know. His simple mind only knew that what the man in white was doing was wrong, and wrong was something Link had not learned to tolerate.

Link had only just reached for his sword hilt, when he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. Grunting, as the world faded and consumed itself with darkness, he closed his eyes, and fell into a painful slumber.

* * *

When Link came to, he was sitting in an abandoned alleyway, on a dirty, dishevelled heap of rags. The blonde girl, her emerald eyes staring at his in concern. It was then that the pain that Link could feel suddenly exploded, spreading through his body until he felt every nerve burn with a raging cold fire. 

"Ah!" the first instinct Link had was to cry out loud; a broken piece of glass reflected a bloody face; black eyes and bleeding lips were just some of the injuries scattered across his face. The girl gasped; she produced a cloth soaked in water to wash the wounds, and dabbed them across his face gently.

"Thanks..." Link could only murmur, and then coughed; blood began to flow freely from his lip again. Groaning in pain, Link reached for his waist to check if the Kokiri Emerald was still under his belt. Thankfully, it was still hooked in between his belt and tunic, hiding it from prying eyes. "What happened?"

"After you stood up, the man in pink smacked you in the back of the head with a plank. You fell, and the other two, except for Tingle, began to beat you up." the girl looked away suddenly, as though she couldn't bear to see his face. "To think...that you did all this for me, to ensure my safety...thank..."

"Don't mention it!" a high-pitched squeal erupted from inside Link's tunic. Navi floated out, materialising in front of Link and his newfound friend. She glowed brightly, then flew around Link's battered body, examining his wounds. "Oh, you really went and did it to yourself this time, didn't you?"

Link struggled to support himself, propping himself up with his elbows. As the girl dabbed his face, he asked her questions about herself.

"What's your name?"

"Esmerelda. What's yours'?"

"Link." Link winced a little as she dabbed a particularly painful spot. "Don't mind me."

"Are you from around here?"

"Where's here?"

"Hyrule Castle. Are you from around here?"

"No."

"Where'd you come from?"

"None of your business."

The flow of conversation ceased, and the girl continued her work in silence. Link, meanwhile, reminisced upon a life that seemed to have disappeared in but a moment, and suddenly recalled the one memento of that life that had left. Quickly, he drew out Saria's ocarina; yet when he drew it out, the mouthpiece fell off, leaving the instrument in two uneven pieces.

"No!" Link cried out, looking at the broken souvenir of a girl he'd called 'Mother'. He cradled the wooden treasure, the last reminder in his long journey, and let his tears flow as he realised that he had lost something that was most dear to him.

* * *

**Long time had no updates! DH has updated a chapter that is a little weird. But have fun with it anyway; I hope to get another one up soon!**


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